All You Need Is Love
by Love.Peace.Dramione.Inc
Summary: Hermione has graduated from Hogwarts and moved on to bigger and better things. She'll face many obstacles, but the number one obstacle being able to know what true love really is. Dramione.
1. Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

Chapter One: People Aren't What They Seem

- - - -

"Hermione, do you think you can have those administration reports on my desk by three?"

The long-haired nineteen-year-old looked up from her desk and gently jerked her head so all of her hair was now resting on one shoulder. She was no longer the curly-haired Gryffindor she had once known. Hermione Granger had grown into her body nicely, and now had straight, brown locks.

"Yes, sir. Of course." She smiled sweetly, nodding to him.

"Thanks, doll. You have no idea how much I appreciate this."

Hermione smirked and shrugged. "I think I have a pretty good idea, actually."

She watched him smirk back playfully and wink at her before he walked away from her desk and over to somebody else. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks and then sighed before she looked back down at the papers in front of her.

"Do you think he feels the same way about you as you do him, Granger?" Asked a voice.

Hermione didn't need to look up to recognize who was speaking to her.

"It's been eight years and you still can't call me by my first name, Draco?"

The blond-haired ex Slytherin simply smirked and then leaned over the front of her desk, curiosity laced in his silver eyes.

"Apparently not. Old habits die hard. Now answer my question."

Hermione finally looked up at him and searched his eyes. She took in his familiar appearance but also realized how much he had changed. His fair was no longer greasy, but clean and almost bouncy, muscles were visible under his suit, he had gotten taller and no longer looked like a spoiled brat. He had somehow gotten rid of the boy who aimed to make everyone's lives miserable, and he had matured, yet still had a playful sense of humor. The only thing that stayed the same, however, was that one could look at Draco Malfoy and see a spitting image of Lucius.

"Well, for one, he's my boss. And two, there's no way he could possibly find me attractive," Hermione replied, glancing over at her boss, Blaise Zabini.

Draco rolled his eyes and sat on the edge of her desk before leaning closer to her. "I grew up with the guy. He's honest, loyal, and easy-going. Blaise is a good guy -"

"And the only reason you have your job, I'm assuming," she interrupted, the tone of her voice fun-loving and playful.

"You'd assume right, but I could've gotten this job just by dropping my father's name. It's just a plus that my best friend is the head of administration here."

Hermione put her signature at the bottom of the paper and looked back up at Draco.

"So you really think he's into me? If he is, he hasn't showed any signs or anything…"

"Please don't tell me you're that oblivious, Granger," pleaded Draco. "He winks at you, he looked you up and down when you're not looking, he gives you extra time off when you don't even ask for it. Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's into you," he chuckled.

Hermione stifled a laugh and then bit her lip in thought.

"But he's my boss. It'd be unprofessional…"

"But you went to school with him for eight years."

Hermione sighed again and sat back in her chair and distractedly chewed the end of her pen. He was right. As much as didn't want to admit it, Draco Malfoy was right. She had to do something before Blaise found someone else in the department to have an affair with. She did find him attractive, and she could definitely see herself having some after office hour's fun with him. She had to at least try.

"So when are you going to ask him out?"

"Oh please, he should be the one asking me out," Hermione huffed, folding her arms across her chest.

Draco chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. "Who says that the man should always be the one to ask the woman out? Society says so. Break out of the social norms, Granger. Go ask him out, kiddo," he smirked.

"Damn it. You're right. Why are you always right?" Hermione asked rhetorically as she stood up and looked around.

Blaise wasn't anywhere to be found but knew where he went. The only place where bosses went to escape from their employees: their office. Hermione walked over to his office and straightened out her skirt before she gently knocked on the door, and then slowly opened it.

"Hermione," Blaise welcomed her, smiling. "Please come in. What's on your mind?"

Hermione took a deep breath subtly and then stood up straight feigning her confidence.

"Umm… I-I was just wondering if… if you'd like to get some coffee after work?"

Blaise blatantly glanced her up and down, his eyes moving up her curves and then to her breasts. Hermione noticed this but didn't care. It boosted her self-esteem and even flattered her.

"That sounds like a plan. I'd love to get some coffee with you. I'll meet you downstairs in the lobby at five?"

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Yes, alright. T-Thank you," she stammered nervously before she left his office and closed the door. She watched Draco make his way over to her.

"So? How'd it go?" Draco asked quietly.

"He said yes. We're going out for a coffee after work. God, that was so nerve-racking."

Draco smiled and gently touched her shoulder. "Relax, it's done now. It's over. It's a date."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and then nodded. She bit her lip to hide her grin.

"It's a date."

* * * * *

It was four-thirty and Hermione couldn't stop herself from glancing at the clock every five seconds. She looked up from her desk when she saw Blaise pull on his coat and leave the office. It was always customary that the boss left before everyone else.

She sighed to herself after she watched him fake the stairs, feeling her heart pounding hard within her chest. She worked until four-fifty and then shut her lamp off before grabbing her own coat and waving goodbye to Draco. Hermione chuckled when he gave her the thumbs up before she started out, taking the elevator.

"Hey there," greeted Blaise as Hermione appeared on his floor. Shall we?"

He held out his arm and waited for her to interlock her arm in his before he lead them out of the Ministry of Magic building and onto the London streets. She felt nervous and excited at the same time as they walked out of the winter air and into a coffee shop.

"What would you like?"

"Hazelnut coffee, please."

Blaise nodded and looked at the barista. "One hazelnut coffee and one plain black coffee."

Hermione watched him take out his wallet to pay the cashier and was only half surprised to see that he had difficulty closing his wallet all the way. She didn't know how much head bosses in the Ministry were paid, but she knew it had to be a lot.

Blaise grabbed their cups and lead them over to a table before he sat down.

"Thank you," Hermione said taking her own cup of coffee and nursing it in her hands.

Blaise smirked and his eyes crept up to her neck before moving to her eyes.

"You know, I've been attracted to you ever since you applied for this job. You've grown up and into your body quite perfectly."

Hermione watched him take out a small flask from the inside of coat pocket and pour it into his black coffee. She grew uneasy and leaned into him closer.

"What was that?"

Blaise shifted in his seat and looked up at her. "It's firewhiskey. Would you like some?"

Hermione shook her head and looked at Blaise with almost disbelief in her chestnut eyes. This wasn't the Blaise she thought she knew.

"Have you been attracted to me as much as I am to you?"

All she could do was nod and then take a sip of her hot coffee. He seemed to be getting off on all of this and it was starting to make her feel mildly uncomfortable.

"Are you okay, Hermione? What's the matter?"

Hermione didn't want to blow this already. She had waited so long for her chance with Blaise Zabini. She forced a smile and tried to relax.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm fine. I'm just a bit tired from signing all those papers," she lied.

"Then you'll be even more tired later," Blaise smirked, but said under his breath.

Hermione raised an eyebrow and searched his eyes. "What do you mean by that exactly?"

Blaise stretched his legs out, accidentally (or not so accidentally) grazing his legs against hers in the process. He leaned in across the table and chuckled.

"Come on, Granger. You had to know this would be coming. You know exactly what I mean. I'm attracted to you; you're attracted to me, what's the problem?"

Hermione blushed and looked down before clearing her throat, surprised by his straight forwardness.

"R-Right. I'm sorry, Blaise. Y-Yeah, I know what you meant. You're right, we're adults and we're attracted to each other…"

Blaise laughed softly and nodded. "I know I'm right. I'm always right. And you'll come back to my house after our coffee, and then we'll have a little fun," Blaise winked.

Hermione was feeling several emotions at once. She felt like she was just being used by him but she wanted the same thing. And he was right, they were adults and two adults who are attracted to each other should show it in the most intimate way possible. She swallowed hard, not having the appetite for her coffee anymore.

Blaise smirked that lustful smirk again. "Ready to leave?"

All Hermione could do was nod again but she felt her stomach twisting in knots. She was almost ashamed to tell him she was still a virgin, and she bit her lip as she contemplated not to tell him.

"Come with me, beautiful."

She broke out of her trance and looked up at him as he held out his hand to her. She almost reluctantly took it and let him pull her to her feet and walk out of the coffeehouse and into an alleyway. As soon as he apparated her inside his house, she was already nervous and uncomfortable. She looked around the large house and noticed how finely decorated it was, which surprised her. She didn't believe that Ministry bosses were paid this well. There was just no way.

"So where's your place of preference? Do you care where we do it?"

It sounded like he was trying to be considerate but his words were coming out all wrong. She searched his eyes, hopeful.

"T-The bedroom… is where I'd prefer to make love."

Blaise chuckled and then took her hand and started quickly up the stairs with her as he led her into his master bedroom. Not a minute after they had walked inside, Blaise had taken his suit off and had Hermione pinned against the wall, already beginning to attack her neck with deep kisses.

"Oh, baby. You're so hot, Hermione…" Blaise said breathlessly.

She felt him pull her shirt off and then began to fumble clumsily with the buttons on her skirt. She felt her heart beating wildly now with anticipation and she started to work the buttons on his pants.

"Mmmm, that's it, baby. Undress me…"

Hermione was feeling uncomfortable with all the 'baby' and orders, but didn't want to stop. She took his pants down and no sooner had he done that, she felt him grab her hair roughly and force her on her knees. Hermione tried to hide the whimper that was escaping her throat without success.

"Come on, darling. Be a good girl and please me the way I want."

She watched as he pulled down his boxers, revealing his member and then force it into her mouth, one hand still holding her hair firmly.

Hermione scrambled frantically to think of how to escape him but came up with nothing. She just felt her gag reflex kick in as he pressed her deeper around his dick. She felt sick to her stomach as she felt him do this.

"Come on, baby. Suck it. Suck my cock."

Hermione felt tears in her eyes now as she did the only thing that came to mind. She punched his foot with a hard fist and kept punching it before he yelped and then backed away from her.

"What the hell, you crazy bitch?!"

Hermione stood up now and backed away from him.

"What the hell, Blaise?! I-I don't want to do that!"

Blaise nursed his foot and sighed, walking back over to her. "Okay, I'm sorry. Come here, Hermione," he ordered softly, gently taking her hand and pulling her towards him.

She felt apprehensive and almost fearful but obeyed him. She relaxed again when he reached up and caressed her cheek.

"We're going to have fun, okay? This will be fun."

Hermione sniffed and nodded, taking a deep breath. She felt him pull down her skirt and then pick her up before he laid her down on his bed. Blaise kissed her neck and then down to the top of her panties before he pulled them down eagerly and admired her lower body.

"Mmmm… you are very satisfactory indeed…"

Blaise slipped two fingers inside her but then felt himself hit a block. He smirked and kissed the insides of her thighs.

"Ahh… a virgin. The Good Lord has blessed me with a lovely virgin. There may be a promotion for you in this, Hermione."

She swallowed hard and felt herself shiver at his words. "I-I change my mind. I want to go home. I don't want to do this anymore," Hermione said, her voice shaking.

He suddenly moved his fingers deeper inside her and with one quick thrust forward with them, he broke through the barrier.

"Not so fast, love. I'm not done here."

Hermione cried out in pain as he did this and whimpered. "No! Stop it! I-I want to go…"

Blaise climbed on top of her now and she struggled furiously against him, her adrenaline kicking in as she reached up and tried to hit him.

"No! Get off! Get off of me, Blaise!"

He grabbed her wrists tightly and pinned them to the bed as he began to rub himself against her. He looked down at her with lust and determination in his eyes.

"Shut up, you little cunt. You are going to lay there and take it like the good girl you are." He reached down and inserted his member into her roughly.

Hermione screamed now and felt tears run down the sides of her face. She felt pain and agony with each unwanted thrust. She had to do something. She waited for him to lower his head towards her face before she suddenly hit her head against it hard, breaking his nose.

"Oww! You fucking bitch!"

Hermione sat up as quickly as her body would allow and was about to run out the door when she felt him slap her hard, sending her to the floor before grabbing her by the throat and pinning her against the wall.

"You ugly whore. I'm not surprised no one would want you. You're a goddamn tease and a slag."

She could feel him cutting off her air and her instincts kicked in. She had to get out of this place. Hermione kneed him between his legs hard, sending him to the floor in excruciating pain.

"You fucking bastard! I hate you! I am not a slag!"

She cried as she quickly put her clothes on and kicked him in the ribs before she apparated out of his house and in Hogsmeade, starting towards her apartment. She suddenly stopped when she noticed a familiar head of blonde hair walking down the sidewalk. He lied. He told her that Blaise was a nice guy. He told her that Blaise was loyal and kind and easy-going. Draco had lied to her.

Hermione bit her lip and began following him. He might have lied, but she didn't want to go to her apartment. She didn't want to be alone. She hugged her coat tighter to her body and never took her eyes off Draco's back.


	2. I'll Protect You

**Author's Note: **So this one isn't as long as the first, as I apologize. I needed a cut-off point. Please feel free to read and review. Reviews help motivate me to write faster :)

* * *

Chapter Two: I'll Protect You

- - -

Hermione followed Draco all the way back to his apartment that, to her surprise, was not the most lavished place as she had expected it to be. She tried to fix her appearance the best she could but to not avail. She waited until he entered before she walked over and gently knocked on the door, feeling foolish for not being able to go back to her own home.

She stood there awkwardly, her hair a mess, her blouse and skirt disheveled and smelling sickeningly of Blaise's sickening cologne. A red mark was apparent on her cheek and an outline of Blaise's fingers were red across her throat from where he had held her against the wall. This was the last place she ever thought she'd be but truly did not have anyone else to turn to.

"Granger, what are you doing here?"

Hermione swallowed hard and searched his silver eyes desperately, feeling scared and angry at the same time. She felt tears of hurt well in her own chestnut eyes.

"W-Why did you l-lie to me, Draco…? D-Do you really hate me that much, that you'd want to hurt me…?"

Draco's expression of question changed into one of confusion now and he took a step closer to her.

"What are you talking about? I've gotten over our rivalry and my hatred for you the second we graduated… what happened, Granger?"

Hermione instinctively took a step back and bit her lip to hide a gasp. She looked down and shut her eyes tightly before looking back up at him, anger in her eyes but tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"You lied to me! You lied! You told me that Blaise was such a great fucking guy! You wanted to hurt me!"

Hermione pounded on Draco's chest weakly with her fists as she broke out into sobs, feeling betrayed. He quickly took her wrists gently in his hands and looked into her eyes, worry suddenly filling his own as he saw her fear when she attempted to struggle.

"Shhh… hey, hey... I don't know what you're talking about, Granger. You need to try and calm down so we can talk. I don't know what happened but you need to know that I never wanted to hurt you. Never…"

Hermione hiccupped and whimpered before she took a deep breath, her heart pounding hard against her ribcage as she sobbed. She felt a calmness and a feeling of safety and security fill her as she felt his hands on her skin.

He gently let go of her wrists now and placed a hand on her back. "Come inside… let's talk."

She wiped the tears with her palm and then let him walk her into his small apartment complex. Inside, Draco turned on some lights and walked her into the living room before helping her sit down on the plain beige couch.

"Just relax… I'll be right back and then you can tell me what happened. Make yourself at home, Granger," Draco waited for her acknowledgment and then disappeared from sight.

As Hermione looked around, she felt like she was back at her parents' home. The tan carpet covered the area of the living room and ended at the hallway where hardwood floors suddenly appeared and went into a longer, narrow hallway where Hermione assumed contained extra rooms and bathrooms. She looked outside and saw the moon hanging in the winter sky, feeling like it was a sign that hope was here and that Draco Malfoy could help her in some way in her hour of need.

He came back a few minutes later, empty-handed, and sat down beside her. She flinched the second she felt his hand on her cheek and fear became laced in her eyes.

"It's alright. I'm just going to heal you… I won't hurt you, I promise."

Hermione felt comfort in his words as they ran off his tongue smooth like silk. She relaxed a little and then nodded in understanding, wanting to believe him more than anything. She watched with conditioned hesitation as he healed her cheek and then was careful when he placed his hand on her throat to heal that as well.

"So Blaise did this to you?" Draco asked, not wanting to believe it as anger swelled in him.

"Y-Yes. He's… he's not who I thought he was," Hermione said, almost inaudibly.

Draco swallowed hard and took a deep breath before he ran a hand through his blonde hair in thought. "I'm sorry, Granger. I really am. All the years I've known him, I've never seen him hurt any of his girlfriends or… just any woman at all. Did something bring this on, him hurting you? There must have been something that provoked him."

She looked down after he returned his hand and she was quiet for a long time, replaying the scene in her mind.

"H-He… Blaise was… he was acting sick. He was so… so forceful," her bottom lip quivered and she bit it gently. "I mean, a-at first I wanted to have sex with him but he was… talking so horribly, it made me feel disgusting. It made me feel like a-an object. H-He made me… Christ. He made me give him a blowjob. He g-grabbed my hair… and just forced me and then I threatened to leave and then he apologized. We made it over to the bed and… h-he put his fingers in me really roughly…i-it hurt… it hurt really bad."

Draco listened intently and felt his hands trembling with anger towards his now ex-best friend. How could he be so close to the guy and not know about this? His best friend hurt Hermione… he had to do something. He felt the overwhelming urge to protect her.

"You… you were a virgin, weren't you?" Draco asked fearfully, already knowing the answer. When she nodded, he sighed and bit his lip before he searched her eyes again.

Hermione decided not to tell him about Blaise raping her, if that was what you could call it. Wait, did he rape her? He didn't finish… but she had said no. But she had wanted to sleep with Blaise in the beginning. So was it really rape? These thoughts entangled in her mind and made her heart race with fear and uncertainty. What if it wasn't really rape and he fired her for false accusations? Hermione decided not to bring it up.

"I'm so sorry, Granger. I really am. I-I didn't mean to… I honestly didn't think he would hurt you," Draco struggled for words as he looked at Hermione apologetically.

"It's o-okay. I suppose you didn't know how he really was. It's… it's okay," Hermione shifted nervously on the couch and then looked up at him almost pleadingly. "I can't go back to work. I can't go back and face him again."

Draco stood up and was quiet for awhile before he looked down at her. "You can stay here if you don't want to go back to your place. Umm… we'll figure out something, okay? But, we do need to go back to wherever you live and get some clothes for you."

Hermione's eyes widened with terror. "W-What if _he's_ there? What if he's waiting for me?"

He seemed to think about this for awhile before he smiled weakly. "I won't let him touch you. You're safe with me, Granger."

She looked up at him and then nodded, genuinely feeling safe for the first time in her life.

* * * * *

They exited Draco's apartment and started towards Hermione's house. She hugged her coat tighter to her as the wind blew around her legs. Neither of them said a word to the other until they reached her house.

Hermione fumbled with the keys and unlocked it before entering, holding her breath. She looked around cautiously, as if Blaise could be hiding behind the door. She relaxed again when she felt Draco's hand on her arm softly.

"It's alright… let's go get your clothes," he replied before he let her lead them down the hallway to her own bedroom. He glanced around anywhere Blaise could possibly hide.

Hermione grabbed a backpack and started shoving jeans and shirts and underwear in it lazily, not wanting to be here longer than she had to. She went into the bathroom and grabbed her shower stuff and her toothbrush before walking back out to where Draco was waiting for her in the bedroom.

"Ready to go?"

Hermione nodded but then felt her heart stop when she heard the sound of someone opening the front door. She felt her blood run cold and looked at Draco with unadulterated fear in her eyes.

He put his fingers to his lips and took her hand before leading her into a walk in closet. He quickly helped her inside and then knelt down to meet her eyes as the footsteps got closer and closer.

"Stay in here. Be as quiet as you can. I'm going to hide in the bathroom and when I hear him coming towards you, I'm going to jump out and hurt him. I'm going to protect you," Draco whispered quickly to her before he suddenly kissed her forehead and hurried into the bathroom.

This gesture surprised and almost frightened Hermione but she pushed it aside for now before closing the closet door silently, leaning back in the closet so she was away from Blaise's sight.

"Hermione… I know you're here, darling. Come out, come out, wherever you are…"

She watched him move closer to the closet and she covered her mouth to stop herself from letting out a whimper. She could feel her heart stop dead in her chest, fearing that Blaise could hear it pounding so wildly.

"I won't hurt you! Come on out… I still have to give you your promotion."

Blaise neared the closet until he looked at through the small spaces that were vertical on the door and started towards it with more confidence.

Suddenly, Hermione heard a door open and saw Draco hurry out of the bathroom before he suddenly punched Blaise before he kicked him in the ribs.

"You son-of-a-bitch! What did you do to her?! I trusted you! I trusted you with everything and you let me down!"

Blaise groaned in pain and attempted to get up on his knees but Draco kicked him again, this time with more force. Hermione bit her lip at the thought of Draco intentionally or unintentionally breaking Blaise's ribs, or puncturing his lungs. She had to force herself to stay inside the closet as much as she wanted to break out of it and stop Draco.

"How could you do that to her? What kind of animal are you?!"

Blaise coughed and groaned again in pain before he finally made it up on his knees. He looked up at Draco now with an unreadable expression on his face.

"You're the animal, Malfoy. You… you're the one who… almost killed that old brute at Hogwarts. Y-You were going to kill him! Y-You're the one w-who has the Dark Mark! Y-You're the monster, Draco! You're the fucking monster!"

Hermione had forgotten about Draco receiving the Dark Mark on his arm. It had been years since that had happened, and he had proven that he could be a decent person. He hadn't killed anyone.

She watched as Draco suddenly looked fearful and angry. She knew those feelings. She knew how it felt to have them simultaneously.

"I don't have the Mark anymore, Blaise. It's gone and I am not that person anymore! But this isn't even about me! It's about Granger and what you've done to her!"

Blaise grabbed a bedside table and forced himself to stand but he cringed, holding his side with one hand as he glared at Draco.

"Why are you protecting her?! What could you possibly want from her?"

Draco shook his head and looked back at Blaise with a sincere demeanor of protectiveness.

"I don't want anything from Granger except her trust. I want you to stay the hell away from her from now on. If you come within five feet of her, I'll get a restraining order against you, and if you break that, then I'll have you arrested!"

Blaise chuckled sickeningly now and shook his head. "She's my finest employee. What are we going to do at work?"

Draco glared darkly at him and took a threatening step towards him. "She won't be coming back to work, and neither am I…"

"I'll fire you both, and you'll never find jobs within the Ministry!"

"We'll find jobs… but I won't let her work with a manipulative bastard like you, and I won't work with someone I can't trust."

Hermione felt her heart skip a beat as she heard Draco say this. She continued to watch from the closet door, inching closer to light of the closet.

"You'll be sorry you said that, Draco," Blaise said before he looked at his ex friend and started to walk out of the bedroom, holding his side still.

Draco waited until he left the apartment before he walked over to the closet door and opened it, crouching down to where she was; her innocent eyes curious and unsure. He took the bag from her and helped her to her feet and apparated her back to the apartment.

"Are you alright?" Draco asked somewhat awkwardly.

Hermione took her backpack from him and sat down on the couch, nodding. "Y-Yeah, I'm alright. D-Did he hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine."

They sat in silence for a long time before Draco cleared his throat. "Umm… you should be getting to bed. It's almost one in the morning. Let me show you to your room," he said as he stood back up and started down the hall a short ways before he stopped a small, empty guest room.

Hermione walked in and was surprised at the lavender paint on the walls. She bit her lip and then looked at him.

"T-Thank you, for everything, Draco. Y-You've been really great to me tonight," Hermione smiled weakly.

Draco didn't return the smile as he kept his eyes to the white carpeted floor. "You're welcome. I'm… I'm right across the hall if you need anything. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I'll see you in the morning, Granger."

Hermione bit her lip, feeling like she had done something to provoke his sudden change in attitude. "G-Goodnight, Draco."

She watched him leave the room rather quickly and then go across the hall to his own room before he shut the door with more force than what was necessary. Hermione closed her own door before she got changed into her gray sweatpants and a long sleeved shirt and got under the covers on the bed. She laid there for what felt like hours, the scene with Blaise and him rape- doing whatever to her playing on a loop in her head until she became so mentally exhausted that she forced her eyes to close and fell asleep.


	3. Trust

**Author's Note:** Okay, so just to warn you, there may be vampires here on out, along with original, made up characters if I so choose. There is evidence of vampires among the wizarding world, so this is still Harry Potter-esque. Also, my main characters may do things out of character that they don't do in the book, i.e. smoking, self-destructive behavior, etc. I hope I don't lose any of you with all of this :) It's my story, my choice.

Oh yeah, and I don't own anything except the plot.

* * *

Chapter Three: Trust

- - -

Hermione glanced at the clock on the bedside table as it read seven-thirty. She sighed, having not slept for more than ten minutes at a time. She couldn't get Blaise out of her head for nothing. It was like he was embedded in there now, and haunted her dreams as soon as she closed her eyes to sleep.

Knowing she wouldn't be able to try and go back to sleep, she reluctantly got out of the bed, grabbed her shower supplies, a pair of jeans and a sweater and then quietly crept into the hallway bathroom, the only one in the whole apartment. As she stripped down, she instantly averted her eyes from the mirror to the floor. She felt disgusting and gross. This was what Blaise had done to her. Hermione turned the shower on and slipped inside before she began to wash her hair of the cologne that stained her body. She scrubbed it out before washing her bare body with the body wash. Once she was done, she got out of the shower, wrapped a towel around herself, and then bit her lip hard as she forced herself to look at her body in the mirror.

She looked thinner than before, there were dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep, and the girl staring back at her looked broken and sad. Hermione sighed to herself and got dressed before walking out into the kitchen, not seeing any sign of Draco being awake yet. She opened the fridge and instantly noticed the lack of juices and milk. Beer bottles rested on the top shelf while basic food necessities rested on the second shelf.

"Umm… sorry about the lack of drinks. I don't have company over very much," Draco apologized, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at Hermione.

"Oh, it's alright. I don't even know what I want," Hermione replied, closing the fridge and then sitting down at the kitchen table.

Draco stood there uncomfortably for the longest time before he sat down across from her. He started to nervously pick at the skin on his fingers, quiet.

"W-Who's room do I have?"

There it was; the million Galleon question. He knew it was coming but it was just a matter of when. He looked away with an unreadable expression in his eyes but looked vaguely of sadness. She waited patiently until he finally looked back at her.

"It was my sister's room. It was… Adrianna's room."

Hermione was surprised by this. She had no idea that he had a sister. Where had she been all these years? Why hadn't he mentioned her before?

"W-Where is she?"

Draco finally looked back at her. "She is… dead. She was killed last year by… by her boyfriend."

Suddenly everything added up. The way he had kissed her forehead last night when Blaise had come inside her house, how Draco felt so protective of her… she reminded him of her sister.

It was her turn to look away now and looked down at the black and white tiled kitchen floor.

"O-Oh. I'm sorry. That must… be pretty rough for you, Draco."

He nodded and took a deep breath before clearing his throat again. "Y-Yeah. Thanks… it really has been difficult."

"I don't mean to be rude but why d-don't you have the Dark Mark anymore?"

Draco looked at her now with a weariness and awareness. He impulsively touched his arm with his other hand, his body tensing. "W-What?"

"W-When you were arguing with Blaise… you said that you don't have the Mark anymore. Do you really not have it, or were you just lying?"

Hermione watched as Draco rolled up his sleep with reluctance and then stepped towards her as he held out his forearm to her.

Her stomach dropped when she saw scars covering the place on his arm where the Dark Mark had been. She looked up at him with confusion in her eyes. "But… how? How did you get rid of it?"

Draco rolled his sleeve back down. "I burned it off, Granger. At first, I tried everything to get rid of it after Severus killed Dumbledore. I tried cutting it out. But, it didn't disappear until I tried an Incendio spell on it. It scarred me, but obviously I'm still alive, and I'm not a slave to anyone anymore," Draco explained.

Hermione took a step forward and gently took his sleeve and rolled it slowly back up his arm so the plethora of scars were visible. She gingerly ran her fingers across it innocently, but then seemed to remember how easily Blaise had gotten if she did something wrong, and then quickly stopped, looking back up at Draco with apprehensive eyes.

"I-I'm sorry," Hermione stammered, taking a step back away from him. "I'm…I'm sorry. I-I just… I wanted to…"

Draco took a slow step towards her and gently grabbed her hand before he placed it back on his forearm again, looking down at her softly. "Shhh… it's alright. It's fine. You can touch them."

Hermione relaxed a little and let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She looked up at him again before she looked back down and ran her soft fingers over the rough scarred area. For some reason, it fascinated her. She never knew that one could get rid of the Dark Mark, and the fact that he had found a way but had also damaged his body in the process was an enchanting thought.

Draco watched her do this and sighed inwardly, sensing that Blaise had done more than she had told him. He watched her retreat again and then put his sleeve back down.

"Are… are you thirsty or anything, Granger? I can make tea, coffee –"

"Tea is fine, thank you," she said in a soft voice, nodding.

Draco smiled softly and then walked over to the stove before he filled the kettle with water and placed it on the burner and turned the fire on under it. He took out two mugs and placed a teabag in both.

Hermione watched him with intentness and then looked down at her fingers, still feeling the roughness of the scars on her skin even though he had taken his arm back. She wanted to tell him what had happened, what else Blaise had done, but she couldn't. Not when she wasn't sure that Blaise had even done anything else to her at all. She felt so confused, so torn up inside. Hermione felt like she was being punished for not letting Blaise have sex with her. She was strong, or had been at one point and usually, she never would've thought these crazy, ridiculous thoughts but Blaise had corrupted her. He had fucked with her mind and had screwed her up mentally in the process. Now she had to be careful, in case Draco was secretly like this way too.

Hermione broke out of her reverie as Draco set the cup of tea down in front of her before he sat down with his. He took a sip of the tea before he looked at Hermione.

"Are you afraid of me? Is that why you're so quiet and careful around me, because you think I'm like him?"

Hermione shook her head but knew he wouldn't believe her. "I-I'm sorry, I just… he really got into my head," she answered in a quiet voice.

Draco was silent for a few minutes before he finally spoke.

"It's okay, I understand. I don't blame you. You've… you've been through a lot, I'm sure. If you don't mind me asking, what else did he do to you, Granger? Him forcing you to do what he did and him hitting you is pretty sick and awful but, I don't know. There must have been more…"

Hermione almost choked on her drink of tea as he said this. Why did he think this? Did he already know? She had to get away from him, out of the room. He couldn't know her secret.

"There's nothing, Draco. Please, just… just stay out of it," Hermione spoke, somehow finding strength behind her words as she said them to him. She was feeling defensive now and she didn't care if Draco could sense it.

He leaned forward to her now, seriousness and worry touching his eyes. "I can't stay out of it when you're in my life now! You're in my apartment because you're too scared to go back to your own house! There's something else wrong. He did something else to you, didn't he?"

Hermione stood up quickly now and felt her chest tighten, breathing harder. "I-I have to get away from you right now…"

He suddenly grabbed her arm firmly as she stood up and she seemed to panic more, looking at him fearfully. How Draco hated when he saw that fear, and the last person he wanted her to be afraid of was him. He growled in frustration and let go of her.

She swallowed hard and then walked quickly out of the kitchen and down to her room. She didn't let herself relax until she walked in and closed the bedroom door, locking it. Her breathing was uneven and her chest felt tight with panic and fear. Hermione slid down the door and curled into a ball on the floor before she cried herself to sleep, suddenly feeling so exhausted physically.

* * * * *

Draco started to worry about her. It had been hours and he hadn't seen or heard from her since she had hurried out of the kitchen earlier. He stood up from his place on the couch and then walked down the hall until he reached her room and gently knocked.

"Granger, are you awake? I'm sorry that I interrogated you earlier. I'm just… damnit, I'm worried. Please, open the door. We can talk."

When there was no reply for several moments, Draco sighed and then turned the knob as he tried to open the door but hit a barrier. He peaked inside and then looked down to see what was stopping the door and then saw Hermione lying on the floor. His heart stopped for a second until he realized that she was just sleeping. He knelt down to where her head was and gently stroked her hair.

Hermione suddenly sat upright, gasping in fear, terrified that it was Blaise. When she recognized Draco, she let out a breath and looked down as tears pooled in her eyes.

Draco felt his heart break for her and he stepped inside and then easily lifted her in his arms as he carried her over to the bed and gently set her down. He sat down beside her but she still remained sitting up.

"I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. I'm just so scared that Blaise did something more than you're telling me," Draco said, running a hand through his hair anxiously. "If that's the case, I want you to tell me. Y-You might need medical attention."

Hermione knew she didn't need medical assistance. She wasn't as sore as the day before and she didn't give Blaise time to finish, so she knew she wasn't pregnant.

Tell him. Tell him; he can help you…

She couldn't listen to that voice in her head. That voice belonged to someone she didn't know. That voice could get her into trouble. It could make her fall subject to trusting men again, and Hermione couldn't let herself do that.

"I-I'm okay, Draco. Please… i-it's my life and… I'm just fine," Hermione lied, but looked at him undecidedly.

"I don't want you to be just fine. I want you to be confident that you're okay. Don't lie to me, Granger," Draco begged. "I can see the doubt in your eyes. You're not alright. You're not fine. I know that we haven't gotten along in the past, but we're both adults now. The Dark Mark is in my past. It's not who I am anymore. I want you to trust me."

Hermione looked down at her hands. How could she tell him that she couldn't trust him? It'd tear him apart. She wanted to trust him, though.

"Draco, I… I'm not fine, you're right. There's something tearing me apart but I can't tell you, not yet. I will tell you, someday, but that day won't be today or tomorrow or the next day."

He seemed to accept this answer and he nodded. "Okay. As long as you tell me eventually and not before… it's too late."

Hermione met his eyes now and watched as he looked down at her stomach. She shook her head, understanding what he was talking about.

"It won't be too late. I… I won't get pregnant."

"How sure are you, Granger?" He asked curiously, needing to know.

"I am… one hundred percent sure."

Draco nodded now, biting his lip. He believed her and her answer put him a little at ease

It made him wonder what Blaise had done to her. Had he broken her down with harsh, words? Had he physically hurt her in places that Draco could not see? These questions ripped him apart and tortured his mind but he was so afraid of watching her walk out of his apartment and then end up in the wrong hands that he couldn't let himself continue to badger her with questions about it.

He searched her face and then slowly reached up and placed his hand on her cheek, gently thumbing it. When she flinched, he swallowed hard and placed his hand on her cheek again, this time a little bit firmer. Hermione whimpered and reached up to stop him.

"No, no… it's only me, Granger. I'm not going to hurt you. I'll never hurt you. I'm not Blaise… I'm not a monster. If you only trust one person, please trust me," he pleaded.

She stopped trying to stop him now but her breathing remained uneven as she let him touch her skin. Her body tensed as he did this, but she wanted so badly to trust him. Draco became aware of her body movements and continued to gently caress her cheek, never taking his eyes off of hers.

"It's okay. You're safe. You're safe with me and you're safe here. Please don't leave me here alone. I know you're scared, and I know you can't trust me fully yet, and I get that. I do… but you're safer here where I can protect you, than at your house where I can't."

Hermione felt solace in his words again and she nodded slowly in understanding and knowing. She knew she was safer here with him. She nuzzled her cheek against the palm of his hand affectionately, just needing to feel his touch. Not even in a sexual way, but in a comforting way.

Draco smiled at her reassuringly as she did this. It was a start; she was beginning to trust him. If she trusted him, then there was hope. He couldn't screw this up. He couldn't let his father be unleashed from within him, not like he had done at Hogwarts. His father's words had planted itself in Draco's head, and brainwashed him with propaganda about how he had to do the Dark Lord's work to prove Draco's loyalty.

"What do you want to do now?"

Hermione thought for a minute. "C-Can we go for a walk? I need some air."

Draco's smile grew in relief and he nodded. "Of course we can. That sounds like a good idea."

The two stood up and put on their coats respectively before making their way out into the cold winter air. Hermione breathed in the brisk air and appeared to let herself relax. The cold felt nice, it made her feel alive. But most of all, it made her feel something other than pain, fear, and confusion. Feeling in the moment, she suddenly skipped and spun around, feeling carefree for now. She felt like a small child again, feeling like nothing could hurt her.

Draco watched her, staying close and she behaved like she had not a care in the world, as if whatever happened with Blaise, never happened at all. He wished she could be like this every day, but knew it wasn't an option yet. Not until she told him the truth. But for now, this temporarily relief would do.

"Bet you can't catch me!"

Draco looked up now and watched in horror as she began to run out of Hogsmeade and running towards the Hogwarts grounds.

"Damnit, Hermione! Come back here!" Draco yelled, running after her.

All he heard was her sweet laughter of joy as the wind blew at his face. He felt his stomach sinking as his visibility of her was diminishing quickly. She was running out of sight. He ran faster, fear pumping through his veins. He knew it only took a wrong move on Hermione's side to get into someone's territory or to be kidnapped forever. This thought forced Draco to run faster, his legs tired but never ceasing.

"Hermione!" He called out, but just heard her laughter dying away.

Then he heard a sound he prayed to never hear: her scream. Draco ran as fast as his legs could take him until he reached the castle grounds and saw Hermione staring up fearfully at something he had hoped to never encounter in his life.


	4. Father And Son Reunited

Author's Note: So I know I told you that there was going to be vampires in this chapter and throughout but unfortunately (or fortunately) for you, I changed my mind. I've been thinking and it wouldn't mesh with the plot I had in mind real well. Maybe I'll add them in another HP fanfic. Anyway, thank you for your reviews! I apologize for the long wait. I'll try not to have that happen again. Now, onto the next chapter :)

* * *

Chapter Four: Father And Son Reunited

- - -

Identical blonde hair and stormy silver eyes were staring back at him. The figure of his father holding Hermione roughly by her arm stood before him. He glanced at Hermione who had terror in her eyes and was looking at Draco pleadingly.

"Draco, you've been a bad son, indeed. I believe it's time for us to catch up. But first, I think me and Miss. Granger should spend some time… catching up," Lucius said with a smirk on his face.

The way he said this last part sent chills down Draco's spine. He glared at his father with malice. "Let her go!"

"But why would I want to do that, Draco? She's very valuable to me. She's a Mudblood and we need to rid the wizarding world of her… kind."

Hermione whimpered and attempted to struggle out of his tight grip but it was no use. She looked into Draco's eyes and saw pure anger in them.

Draco pulled out his wand quickly and aimed it at his father. "AVADA –"

"CRUCIO!"

Draco dropped his wand as he felt his whole body become overwhelmed with excruciating pain, forcing him to drop to the ground, clutching his stomach as he screamed.

"DRACO!" Hermione screamed and tried to run towards him but Lucius pulled her back and then backhanded her so she hit the ground hard.

Lucius watched his son lie on the ground, writhing in agony, and then knelt down to him. "I will always be stronger than you, _boy._ Always. How dare you try to use an Unforgiveable on me! You'd risk spending the rest of your pathetic life in Azkaban for Granger? You continue to give me reasons to disappoint me… tsk tsk, Draco…"

Draco clenched and unclenched his fists in pain, wanting to look over and see if she was alright, but his body physically wouldn't let him. This scared him more and put more fear into him than his father's words did. He tried to fight the curse, but felt it spreading throughout his entire self, feeling like he was being burned alive.

"You need to figure out where your loyalties lie," Lucius sneered, shaking his head. "If you do not ask the Dark Lord to put the Mark back onto your arm, I will disown you as my son," Lucius said darkly, ice in his voice.

He took the curse of his son and then stood back up before he started to walk away from Draco. At that moment, Draco stood up and aimed his wand at Lucius once again, his hands shaking with rage.

"Sectumsemp –"

Lucius turned around not a second later. "SECTUMSEPMPRA!"

Draco flew back on the ground and whimpered in pain, feeling cuts across his chest and stomach. He looked up in time to see Lucius laugh sickly and then apparated off of the grounds.

Hermione ran over to him and knelt down, her heart sinking as she watched blood slowly ooze out of the fresh cuts across his chest, making his shirt crimson. "Oh god, Draco… I-I'm so sorry… I'm sorry…" Hermione cried, a red handprint visible on her cheek.

Draco took in sharp breaths and looked up at her with tears of pain. "T-Take me to the castle… to the hospital w-wing…i-it's quicker…"

She bit her lip but nodded, placing one hand on his arm before she apparated them to the hospital wing and gently helped him lay down on a bed. As soon as she did this, Madam Pomfrey walked over to them, a look of surprise and shock on her face.

"Oh my, oh my… what brings you here, Draco Malfoy?"

He sighed and cringed as Madam Pomfrey took off his shirt. "My father… he's gotten back in touch with me."

Hermione wiped her tears that were on her cheek and tried to calm herself as she looked from Pomfrey to Draco. "I'm sorry, D-Draco… t-this is my fault…"

Draco winced as the nurse began to wipe his cuts with a washcloth and began to disinfect them. He reached up and placed his hand on her cheek comfortingly.

"Now you listen to me, Granger," he said in a soft tone. "You should've been more careful considering the situation, but you were happy and carefree, and you didn't want to think about Blaise coming after you again. I'm not angry, and I don't blame you for what happened to me. It was my father's fault, and no one else's. Okay?"

Hermione swallowed hard but nodded reluctantly, relaxing a little but remained quiet.

Madame Pomfrey walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a small vial that contained a green and brown leaf with vine-like stems coming off of it. "I'm just going to crush some dittany and it'll reduce the scarring. Excuse me for a few moments while I go do that…"

Draco watched her walk away and over to a basin before she began to crush up the magical plant. He reached out and took Hermione's hand in his, gently thumbing it soothingly, seeing how uneasy she looked.

"Let's not worry about this right now, Granger. We'll talk about this after we're out of here, alright?"

Hermione looked at him in disbelief. "Draco… he came after us! He could've killed you!"

As she raised her voice, Draco gently covered her mouth with his hand and searched her chestnut eyes with his silver ones. He took a deep breath before he spoke.

"But he didn't. We'll talk about this when we get somewhere safer, like I said," he said in a stern voice before he took his hand off carefully.

Hermione was nervous at how Draco was acting, but she knew why he was acting this way. He was scared. He didn't want to go down that road again with putting the Dark Mark upon his forearm. She knew that Draco was different now, and he didn't want it as much as she didn't want it on his arm. Hermione looked at Draco and was about to walk out of the wing for some air but he instantly grabbed her wrist.

"I'm sorry, Granger. I am. Please, don't go anywhere right now without me," he pleaded. "I don't want my father coming back and seeing that you're alone."

She could sense the fear in his voice and reluctantly stood over by him again, waiting for Madame Pomfrey to come back. Draco appeared to relax a little and lay back down.

"I've crushed up the dittany so we can just spread it on your cuts like a cream, Mr. Malfoy."

Madame Pomfrey took a Q-tip and started to apply the green cream to his pale, tainted skin. Draco winced a few times and as he did this, he squeezed Hermione's hand that was by her side. Once Pomfrey was finished, she smiled at the two of them and cleaned up the station where they were.

"Okay, you both are free to leave. Like I said, Draco, you shouldn't have any major scarring but I can't promise you won't have any at all. And for your own sake, take it easy…"

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded and slowly stood up before he lead Hermione out, casually letting go of her hand, not realizing that he still was.

They walked in silence until they finally made it out of the castle. The cold air nipped at their skin but Hermione continued to follow him, almost afraid to say anything.

For Draco, his father's words haunted him.

_If you do not ask the Dark Lord to put the Mark back onto your arm, I will disown you as my son…_

He was under a lot of pressure and stress, and he didn't know where to turn. He was afraid to talk about this with Hermione, but knew he had to. She wasn't safe alone anymore, between the threat of Blaise and his father. He unlocked his apartment and then walked in, closing the door behind Hermione.

She walked inside and sat on the couch, her legs too weak to stand anymore. Draco walked into the kitchen and turned the kettle on to kill some time before she had to talk to her, and he watched as steam slowly began to become visible. When it started screaming, he shut the burner off poured the hot water into two mugs and poured a bit of milk into hers. He walked into the living room and sat down beside her, handing her tea mug to her.

"T-Thanks…" Hermione set the mug on the coffee table instead and looked at him, wanting answers to her unasked questions.

Draco saw the questioning in her eyes and set his tea down as well and turned to face her on the sofa. "It's time we talk about this. I think I need your help."

* * * *

"So what are you going to do?"

"About what, exactly?"

Hermione took a sip of her tea finally and bit her lip. "About the Dark Mark… a-are you going to go to Voldemort and ask for him to put it on you again?"

"No, of course not. I can't go through that shit again. I can't kill anyone who hasn't done any wrong. I need… you to tell me what you want me to do," Draco said in a tone that was deadly serious.

Hermione's eyes widened. "W-What? Draco… I can't… tell you what I want you to do. My opinion doesn't matter. It's what you think that _you_ should do."

Draco sighed now and ran a hand through his hair. "I think that I shouldn't go through with it, but if I don't, my father is going to disown me as his son. Your opinion does matter to me, Granger. Believe it or not… you matter to me."

This last sentence made her look up in surprise at him, and made him clear his throat.

"I mean, if you don't stay by me, you could end up hurt by either Blaise or my father. So… umm… just tell me what you're thinking about with my dilemma, because this will obviously affect you too."

Hermione nodded and even though it was obvious to her about what he must not do, but she remained patient and calm, realizing that it was not as apparent to him because of the consequences of the action.

"Okay, well… if you get the Mark, then Voldemort is going to want you to kill others. Innocent people. And one of those people might be me… if you don't get it, then your father will disown you, but no one will die…"

"How do you know? How do you know that my father won't come after you, or even me, if I decide not to get the Dark Mark again?"

"I-I don't, but… it's better than him killing innocent people."

"Granger! We're innocent people too! This wouldn't be our fault if he starts to kill again!"

Hermione looked down at her hands anxiously. "I don't think you should get the Mark again, Draco. Your father doesn't love you, and if he says he does, it's only because you're his only heir. You don't want to do this. You don't want to kill anyone. Do you remember when Voldemort wanted you to kill Professor Dumbledore? Harry said that he could see you and you were crying, and your hands were shaking, and you had lowered your wand before Severus did it himself. You're not an evil person. Others may think you are, but I know that you're not. There is good in you, and I don't want you to get the Dark Mark again."

Draco listened intently, his heart racing as she spoke with such confidence that it seemed convincing. He took another drink of his tea when she was finished and thought for awhile. His father disowning him wouldn't be the worst thing ever in the world. It might even take the pressure off. He just didn't want her to get hurt again because of his rejection of getting the Mark. Draco knew she was right though, and he finally looked at her and nodded.

"Okay. I'm not… I'm not going to do it. Thank you, Granger."

Hermione smiled weakly and let out a sigh of relief. The two sat in an awkward silence again before she finally spoke.

"W-When can I go back to my house?"

Draco sighed and took another drink of his tea before setting it back down. "I don't know. I suppose you can go back after Blaise dies of some horrible disease," he answered, half-jokingly.

His tone of voice didn't put Hermione at ease.

"Are you serious? You must be joking, Draco. I can't wait for him to keel over before moving back into my house. It's my house! I should be able to go back there right now."

"Look, Granger, you can't. Not until we know that there's no danger of him hurting you again."

Hermione slammed the cup down on the coffee table with more force than what was necessary and stood up before she started to put her coat on. Draco stood up quickly now and walked over to her.

"Where do you think you're going? You can't go back there! It's not safe yet!"

Hermione took her hair out from under the coat and looked up at his hovering figure. "Oh yeah? When will it be safe, Draco? When? I'm sick and tired of waiting! I can't be afraid of him my entire life!"

Draco gently took her hand and blocked the front door that went out of his apartment. He held it firmly, but was careful not to hurt her.

"Some people are just monsters, and Blaise is one of them. It'll be safe when we can get

him put in jail! When he can't hurt you anymore. But we have nothing against him except that he hit you, but I already healed you! Unless he did _something else_ to you…" Draco trailed off, looking at her desperately.

"He didn't rape me!" The sentence suddenly came out of her mouth but a part of her didn't believe even her own voice. Hermione still didn't know exactly if it could be considered rape or not, but she could get into trouble for false accusations if it wasn't true.

"I don't think even you know what Blaise did, Granger."

She took a deep breath to stop the anger from boiling up and exploding. Tears formed in her eyes though instead and she looked up at Draco.

"You don't know what he did either."

"Of course I don't! You won't tell me! Damnit, Granger… you're so difficult! You barely talk to me unless you have to! Why don't you just open your mouth and fucking speak already?!"

The anger belonging to Draco had come out without warning, and he immediately regretted the words he spoke. He ran his hands through his blonde hair in frustration and irritation with himself.

Hermione's tears fell down her cheeks now and she looked at him with hurt in her eyes. "I'm just going to leave, since I'm so difficult," she replied in a whisper.

"Granger, no –" Draco went to grab her arm to stop her but she ripped it from his grip.

"No! Don't even… don't even fucking touch me, Draco! You don't like me! You still can't even call me by my first name!"

Hermione stormed out of his apartment quickly before he could catch up and she held her coat tightly to her before she started to walk swiftly to her house a block down from his apartment. Once she had arrived, she walked inside and closed and locked the door before she turned on all the lights.

She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a kitchen knife before she decided to do a quick sweep of the house, just in case Blaise was hiding somewhere. She checked the bedrooms, the bathroom, the guest room, and anywhere one could hide in the living room. She put the knife back and suddenly jumped out of her skin when she heard a knock at the door. Hermione grabbed the knife again before she walked slowly over to the door and unlocked it. The knock came again and she opened the door, the knife raised up in her hand.

"Hermione! Jesus Christ! It's me!"

She breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed her arm when she saw Ginny Weasley at the door, looking confused and frightened. Hermione set the knife down on an end table before she hugged her friend.

"I'm so sorry, Ginny. I wasn't expecting you…"

Ginny returned the welcomed embrace and then stepped back and looked at her. "Who did you expect, one of the Death Eaters?"

Hermione sighed and took the knife back into the kitchen before she put the kettle on. She walked back over to her. "Close, Blaise Zabini."

Ginny looked at her in surprise now. "Why would you be expecting him, Mia?"

She invited Ginny to sit down on the sofa and Hermione went on to explain what had happened at Blaise's mansion. She told her about what Blaise did, and how she wasn't sure if it was rape or not, and how confused she was, and by the time she was done, Hermione was in tears.

Ginny hugged her gently and rubbed her back comfortingly. "Oh, Hermione… I'm so sorry. I had no idea what you had gone through. I should've called, or owled, or something…"

Hermione sniffled and wiped her cheeks with her palms. "N-No, please don't blame yourself. I-I just didn't w-want to tell anyone about i-it yet."

Ginny nodded in understanding and then placed some of Hermione's loose locks of hair behind her ears. When she heard the kettle scream, she gently set her friend against the sofa and stood up, walking into the kitchen.

"So what do you think it was, Mia? Do you think what Blaise did to you was rape?" Ginny asked as she poured the hot water into two mugs while waiting for Hermione's reply.

Hermione took a hesitated breath as she tried to calm herself down. "I-I don't know, Ginny… I'm so confused right now. My head's going in so many different ways about this right now. I-I wanted it… at first… but B-Blaise was so rough. I told him I was a virgin, and he just… he was so sick. If you could've seen the look in his eyes…"

Ginny brought the tea back into the living room and sat down beside Hermione again, setting her tea in front of her. She was quiet for awhile, just imagining what her friend had gone through.

"I think what Blaise did to you was rape, Mia. You might have wanted to have sex with him in the beginning, but it sounds like he got too out of control and he was inconsiderate of you. You told him to take it easy and he ignored you. H-Have you gone to a hospital or anything yet?"

Hermione shook her head. "I-I was only sore for a few hours, and then I was alright."

Ginny sighed now and looked at Hermione with sadness in her bright brown eyes. "Mia, they could've gotten evidence that he raped you. We could've sent him to prison…"

"No, I mean… they couldn't have gotten any evidence…he didn't… finish," Hermione said with bright red cheeks.

"I'm sure they still could've gotten his DNA. And it's your word against his. In these cases, the woman almost always wins. The hospital could've gotten something."

Hermione bit her lip hard and then looked down at her hands. "I-Is it too late to go?"

Ginny looked down at her own hands, hating that something like this had to happen to her best friend. She bit her lip as well, trying to think of other solutions, and who they could call.

"I-It usually is, if it's been 24 hours… and if you've showered it off. B-But we can go if you want to… I mean, it's worth a shot, if nothing else. What do we have to lose?"

Hermione nodded and finally looked up at Ginny. "O-Okay, thank you, Gin. Will you take me there, to St. Mungos?"

Hermione didn't want to go to the hospital wing for this. Madame Pomfrey knew her and her friends too well, and Hermione was an adult now. She had to go to an adult hospital.

"Of course I'll take you there, Hermione. D-Do you want to call anyone else to come with us?"

For a split second, Hermione thought about calling Draco, but then remembered his fury and their fight. She didn't need any more stress right now. "N-No, not yet."

Ginny smiled softly and stood before Hermione did the same, and then put her coat on. She interlocked arms with Hermione and held her hand tightly. "Ready?"

Hermione nodded and Ginny apparated them outside of St. Mungos Hospital for witches and wizards. She watched all of the parents taking their sick children inside, as well as women her age enter sobbing, on gurneys. She held on tighter to Ginny and felt fear building up inside of her now.

"Excuse me… can I help you?" A young woman at the receptionist's desk asked Ginny.

"Yes, umm… I'm with my friend here, and… I just found out she was raped by someone. Would it be possible to see if you could help her, and collect any evidence from her attacker?"

The receptionist eyed Hermione cautiously and then nodded to Ginny. "Have a seat, please. I'll see if a doctor can take her now."

The two girls watched as the woman stood up and started down the hall. Ginny turned to Hermione.

"It's going to be okay, Mia. I promise… I'll be by your side the whole time."

Hermione smiled weakly and nodded, relaxing a little bit. "Thank you, Ginny."

The receptionist sat down at her desk as a doctor walked over to Hermione and Ginny.

"Hello, would you girls please follow me?"

Hermione looked at Ginny nervously and then followed the young doctor. He couldn't have been older than thirty, if that. His professional matter made Hermione feel a bit more at ease, but it didn't ease her nervousness. He told Hermione to lay down on the bed, and another doctor would be in shortly, and then left their room.

Hermione took off her clothes and put on the uncomfortable and revealing hospital gown, its sterile smell wafting throughout the room. She laid back down on the chair and felt her stomach sink when she saw the stirrups. She looked at Ginny who sat in a chair next to her and held out hand. She felt relief wash over her when her friend took it again and then waited in the fluorescent-lit room for the other doctor, all the while thinking how much she wanted Draco in here with her instead of Ginny.


	5. Killing In the Name Of

**Author's Note**: I really don't understand why you don't bother to leave me a review. They fuel my energy and you'd be getting your updated chapters more quickly if I did get some reviews, also, reviews would make the chapters longer. So here's a shorter one. Anyway, onto the next chapter!

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Chapter Five: Killing In The Name Of

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Hermione squirmed at the cold metal being pressed into her. She bit her lip to keep from groaning in pain as the doctor began to examine her. She knew that this was a waste of time since the supposed raping didn't just happen. It had been days.

"C-Can I save any time by telling you that it didn't just happen? A-And he didn't rape me."

The doctor's head popped up and he leaned back in his seat, eyeing her curiously. "He didn't rape you? Your friend told us that he did."

Hermione squirmed uncomfortably again and sighed. "A-At first I wanted it, but then… then I didn't, but he stopped. I-I don't know anymore," she said sadly, looking over at Ginny.

The doctor sighed after looking around inside her and then stood up now after helping her legs out of the stirrups and looked between Ginny and Hermione.

"I'm sorry, girls. It's been over 24 hours. There's no sign of forced entry or any other evidence that I can give you to use in court. I'm very sorry. Do you want me to get a grief counselor in here? You seemed confused about what happened."

Ginny looked over at her friend and then nodded to the doctor before taking Hermione's hand in her own. They watched the doctor leave and Ginny sighed.

"Hermione, Blaise _did _ rape you. You need to talk to the grief counselor about it. Maybe she can help you."

Hermione sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "The only person I need to talk to is Draco."

Ginny was quiet for a few moments. "Do you want me to call him for you?"

She bit her lip and looked down at her hands in her lap. "D-Do you mind?"

Her friend smiled softly and shook her head before she stood up and walked out of the room with her phone, dialing Draco's number once she reached the hallway. A few moments later, Ginny came back and sat back down beside her.

"He's on his way."

"Thanks, Gin. Please don't think that you're not helping me, because you are."

"I know. I understand. Sometimes we just need some male support," Ginny smiled at Hermione understandingly. "Can I ask why you didn't want me to call Harry?"

"I just feel closer to Draco right now than Harry. I don't know. I feel like Draco can relate more somehow. I feel a deeper connection with him than Harry."

"Good, because Harry's mine," Ginny joked playfully, smirking.

Hermione smiled now and chuckled. "You can have him."

Just then, the door opened and Draco walked in slowly, looking hesitatively at Hermione. He waited until Hermione nodded at him and gestured him inside the room. Ginny smiled politely at Draco who nodded just as politely to her and then left them alone.

Draco ran his hand nervously through his hair. "A-Are you okay, Granger?"

Hermione felt tears already filling her broken eyes. "No, Draco. I don't think I am okay…"

He stood there awkwardly and felt his heart aching for her as he watched the tears begin to fall down her pale cheeks.

"How can I help you?"

Hermione wiped away her tears with her palm and sniffled. "C-Can you j-just lay with me?"

Draco nodded, surprised at her answer. He walked over and as she scooted over on the bed, he laid down beside her, wrapping his arms around her body. He felt her melt into him and knew that he was doing something right.

"It's alright… I'm here. You're safe," Draco softly kissed her hair.

Hermione started to softly cry, confused about everything. She wanted to tell Draco her fears, but the last thing she needed was for him to believe that she was a liar. She held onto his hands tightly, her body shaking.

"Talk to me, love. Tell me what happened with Blaise…"

Draco used a tone so caring and loving that she didn't think she could hold anything back from him anymore. She took a deep breath and took a few minutes to regain her composure. She turned around in his arms and looked up at him.

"A-At first I wanted it… I wanted to have s-sex with him but things g-got out of control and I-I don't know what happened. B-Blaise forced h-himself r-really hard into me, and… I h-had to fight him to get him to stop. God, Draco… I-I'm so confused…"

Draco caressed her hair still and searched her eyes. "What are you confused about?"

"D-Did… did Blaise rape me or… or not because I had wanted it."

"Grange – Hermione, I'm sad to say that he did rape you. If you had to fight him to get him to stop, then it was rape. I'm so sorry…"

She cried harder into his chest and he held her against him, gently rocking her. "You're okay now. You're safe, and I'm not going to let him hurt you again."

Hermione felt comfort in his words but she felt betrayed by Blaise, used, and violated. She felt so stupid for being so naïve about what he had done to her. She breathed in Draco's scent as he continued to hold her in his arms.

"I-I'm sorry… I'm sorry t-that I fought w-with you… I'm s-sorry…"

"Shhh, it's okay now. Don't be sorry. You were upset, you were confused, you were angry at what Blaise had done to you, and you had every right to be."

Hermione clutched Draco's sweatshirt tightly in her hands as she cried into him, relief washing over her. She wasn't a liar after all. He understood.

He kissed her forehead softly and looked up when he saw Ginny open the door slowly. He bit his lip and then looked down at Hermione, not wanting to leave her like this. He looked back at Ginny.

"Can I take her back home with me? I promise she'll be safe. I just don't want her to be alone tonight."

Ginny was about to offer to stay with Hermione at her house but she could tell that Draco really wanted to help her. She nodded.

"Yeah, of course. I'll go check her out at the desk," she said with a soft smile and left the two alone again.

Draco helped her sit up and cupped her cheeks, thumbing away the excess tears. "Do you need help getting dressed?"

Hermione took a hesitated breath and shook her head, standing up. She looked at Draco and then at the door. "C-Can you lock the door?"

He walked over and did as she wanted him to. He casted his eyes downwards politely so she wouldn't feel so self-conscious.

Hermione began to change into her clothes again and once she was done, she walked over to him. "T-Thank you, Draco… f-for coming."

He nodded and bit his lip. "Ready?"

When she nodded back, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and lead her out of St. Mungos, passing Ginny on the way out. He apparated them to his apartment and looked at her.

"Is there anything I can get you?"

Hermione ran her fingers through her hair again out of exhaustion. "I-I just want to sleep," she whispered to him.

Draco picked her up easily in his arms and carried her into the guest bedroom and gently laid her down under the covers.

"Thank you." Hermione said sleepily, curling into the blankets as she looked up at him gratefully.

"You're welcome, Hermione."

She watched him exit her room and then he dragged himself back to his own room and laid down under the covers, shutting the light off. He tried to sleep, tossing and turning, but he couldn't fall asleep. He was mentally and physically exhausted but his mind wouldn't let him sleep. Something was missing.

Draco heard footsteps about an hour later and looked up, seeing Hermione hovering over his bed.

"C-Can I sleep with you tonight?"

He scooted over and made room so she could crawl in beside him. He wrapped his arms around her again and held her to his body protectively. He felt her kiss his pale arms and a warm sensation run through his body, giving him goosebumps.

Within ten minutes, the two of them had fallen asleep.

* * * *

The next morning, Hermione awoke to the smell of coffee and the coldness of being alone in the bed. She turned over to see Draco was gone. She stood up and made her way into the kitchen, not surprised to see him sitting at the table drinking coffee. She poured herself a cup and sat down across from him.

"Good morning. Did you sleep okay?"

She nodded and smiled gently. "I slept great. You?"

He smiled back and nodded. "Great."

There was silence for awhile as the two sipped their coffee. Hermione felt freer than she had in awhile. She felt like a giant weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She had no secrets with Draco now. But then something else nagged at her: Draco's fathers' threat.

"Draco, what will you do about Lucius, and what he told you?"

He looked up at Hermione and scratched his chin in thought. "I don't know. I'm not going to go talk to the Dark Lord. I'm not becoming a monster again. I'm not killing anyone."

Hermione smiled shyly and took another sip of her coffee. "And you don't care if he disowns you?"

"Hermione, we've been through this before… Lucius isn't a real father to me. He's just someone who raised me. He's just blood. I don't care about him. I care about you."

She smiled brighter now as he said her first name and she looked down, biting her lip to hide her grin that was spreading on her face.

"What, what are you smiling about?" Draco chuckled.

Hermione looked up at him. "You've started to call me by my name. You haven't called me Granger since at the hospital."

He smiled back at her. "I suppose I'm getting better, eh?"

She nodded and laughed softly. "Much better."

Draco finished his coffee and put his cup in the sink before sitting down next to her. "What do you want to do today?"

She looked down at the coffee that was getting cold in her cup. "I don't know. I need to go back to work."

He looked at her in disbelief. "No you don't. He's… going to go to prison for what he did to you, and he's not going to be your boss anymore."

Her smile faded and she searched his eyes. "There's no evidence. It's just my word against his. The court will never find him guilty."

Draco was quiet for a long time, seeming to understand and know this for a fact. He picked anxiously at the skin around his cuticles.

"What do you want me to do about this, Hermione? I'll do whatever you ask. I want to make this better for you."

Hermione thought for awhile and a thought entered her mind. She tried to shake it away though, not thinking that he would do what she wanted. Not this. Draco seemed to see the wheels turning in her mind.

"What, what is it?"

She wet her dry lips and then finally met his silver eyes. "C-Can you… k-kill him?"

A part of Draco knew that this was coming. He wasn't surprised, but he wasn't against the idea either. He knew he could do it, and not only do it, but get away with it.

"Okay. I'll do it. I'll kill Blaise," he said surely.

His confidence took Hermione back by surprise and she looked up at him. "A-Are you sure? You said that you aren't going to kill anyone…"

"I'm not killing anyone innocent. Blaise isn't innocent, and I believe that you're telling the truth about what he did to you. He's not going to stop unless I do something, and I can pull it off, but I'm going to need your help."

Hermione nodded quickly, eager to hear what his plan was.


End file.
